Posts Tagged ‘iPad’

At this year’s IFRA in Hamburg (4-6th October), Angus Frame, the Vice President, Digital Media at The Globe and Mail and Product Director of Mobiletech, Jon Arne Saeteraas, will share the story on how to create and implement working business models for mobile. The traffic on m.theglobeandmail.com increased 12 times after they installed the Vizrt’s Viz Mobile Expansion (Mobiletech and Vizrt software).

The bewildering array of new devices, each with their specific capabilities of screen size, format capabilities and user interfaces, makes it bluntly impossible to deploy a one-size-fits-all content approach to mobile publishing. The sensible method is not to build elements that are specific to a device, but instead create a template based environment that contains policy information indicating how content should be displayed on any device – not just on any one specific device. It is a logical architecture which provides both scalability and flexibility.

Do you want to know more? Mobiletech will be at IFRA on booth 1.501, right beside the Media Port, Hall 1. You can also get a demo of the complete Vizrt Online and Mobile Suite at the Vizrt Booth, 1.410 Hall 1.

Mobiletech has the pleasure of announcing iPad support in our mobile web development framework! We have discussed the iPad, and whether it is a mobile device or not earlier, and now we have concluded. The user experience is so much better when you handle the iPad (and other tablets) as a mobile device and honoring and utilizing the unique capabilities available. The iPad has, as the iPhone, a touch based interaction model. Hence, a web page made for mouse and keyboard will not work well. We did a proof of concept together with Escenic for the NAB show in Las Vegas a few weeks back. This proved to be a huge sucess! So now, we have concluded on our discussion; Mobiletech will support the iPad and other tablets out there in our product offering. The iPad support is avalable in the current release of Mobiletech Frame. Watch the video and the screen shots below.

Well, then the iPad is launched, finally. The internet is full of reviews and opinions, so I will not replicate that.

I am sure this device will satisfy some needs out there (I will get one, for sure! Me and my sofa have the need), but the main question concerning us there at Mobiletech is; Is this a mobile device that we should enable support for in our software- and service offering?

We have said earlier that we are not sure, yet. Until now the tablets have been the magic device everyone talks about but no one have seen or tried. Some said it would be the silver bullet and the missing link, other more sceptical. We are still not sure about if, how or when we will enable support for such devices as the iPad. We would like the feedback from you to help us make this decision.

Let me explain how we consider our role: We make digital content fit into the mobile browsing context so that it is easy and enjoyable to consume and interact with. So the question we ask our selves is “can we do anything to make the browsing experience better on the iPad based on the dimensions in mobile that are our core?”

Below is a simple pros and cons table from the top of my head.

Yes, its a mobile device that should be treated as any other mobile phone or handheld device

No, this device does not need any adaption.

iPad has an interaction model that is not ideal for sites built for the mouse and keyboard as the input devices.

The average web site out there today will not be fully compatible with the context the iPad provides.

The iPad has a “mobile phone operating system”, same as iPhone.

The device comes with a SIM (some devices).

The device is mobile.

Preferred device for surf and read email and other “30 sec tasks” you wont use your PC or laptop for.

Does not support flash.

No multitasking.

The screen size is close to other high end devices (N900 etc) that we do consider mobile devices and hence support.

Low bandwidth using 3g, demand optimizing of data sent across.

Wap billing and other network services may work and be value adding if 3G is enabled.

The screen is big enough to browse and read sites made for desktop/laptop devices.

Powerful processor compared to many “classic mobile phones”.

Do support html5 fairly well, in addition to other “desktop mark-up standards”.

iPad is not “the new mobile phone” and will not replace mobile phones. Its a new “device class”.

The browser handles web sites very well (except flash, Adobe says its around the corner).

No GPS, cant utilize location fully.

Not necessarily as personal a device as the mobile phone is.

It is not a pocket device, that is “always with you”

So there are definitely many features we currently offer through our software that the iPad could benefit from. Our finger-tip-touch-friendly widgets (like for the iPhone), billing, identification and location, mobile metrics services are just a few. There is no doubt that our Mobiletech Frame product already support the iPad and can produce a site that utilises all unique aspects on the iPad, much better than a “regular web site”! On the other hand there are some points indicating that this device should not be treated as a handheld or mobile device as it does not share all capabilities a regular mobile phone holds. The iPad will not replace the PC, laptop or the mobile phone. If you have the time, use our framework to create a iPad optimised site. You will be amazed about the difference.

So we have not yet decided our position. We need to try and evaluate the device before we can recommend anything. The most important thing for us is that our offering fits into your workflow and value chain. We can do both or a little bit of everything. Hence, we would like to invite you to give your opinion on the iPad. Would an “iPad optimised browsing experience” be something you would except from Mobiletech? Please comment this blog post, send us an email, tweet us or call us.